sonic slang

Kanye West - "Coldest Winter"

Kanye West is so over hip hop.  Case in point - The latest leak from 808s and Heartbreak, "Coldest Winter," ripped from NYC's Power 95.  Will people dig the new rap-free, 80s electro-loving Kanye?  My hunch is: bloggers yes, hip hop fans no.   Maybe there's a reason they put off that second showdown with 50 Cent. Check out the track after the jump.

Dr. Pepper Won't Welch on Chinese Democracy Promise

It looks like Dr. Pepper is actually going to make good on its promise of free DP for everyone in the US, pending a new Guns and Roses album in 2008.  With Chinese Democracy looking set for a 11.25 release, a Dr. Pepper rep has confirmed plans for an online coupon system via the company's official site.  But don't get too thirsty just yet - Axl's camp has still been noticeably silent about the release date...

Blender Makes us Hate American Music

Blender has compiled its list of the "100 Greatest American Albums of All Time."  Things start out promising - Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, The Replacements...but once I saw Kid Rock's masterpiece of lyrical poetry, Devil Without a Cause ("And I'm a Kid Rock it up and down your block/With a bottle of scotch and watch lots of crotch"), they lost me.  Madonna's Immaculate Collection (a greatest hits disc? does this count?) came in at the top spot.

Chillin' Out with Slacker Radio

Tonight I'm hittin' the sack to Slacker's "Alternative Chill" ("Easy Listening for Hipsters" - hah!) station.  I'm typically not a big Internet radio junkie, but these guys are making me a believer.  Check out their DJs' mixtape mastery for yourself.

The Bee Gees Can Save Your Life

And I thought the "Barry Gibb Talk Show" would be my last chance to show some Bee Gees love on SS.  But it seems that some super genius figured out that "Stayin' Alive" has 103 bears per minute.  Why is this significant, you ask?  Because The American Heart Association calls for chest compressions to be given at a rate of 100 per minute in cardiopulmonary resuscitation - better known as CPR.  And in an instant, disco's very existence is justified!

In fact, a study at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria showed that listening to "Stayin' Alive" helped 15 doctors and medical students to perform chest compressions on dummies at the proper speed.

Cool, but can you save someone's life, while thinking about this?

"Literal Head Over Heels"

"Literal Head Over Heels" is the funniest thing I've seen all week, and I watched the debate last night.  Well done guys.

Franz Ferdinand Sets Tonight Tracklist

As previously reported, Franz Ferdinand has set a January release date for Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, the band's 3rd LP.  Today an official tracklist came down the pike, with a couple of familiar songs making the cut.  Check them out after the jump.

Preview Five Tracks from Cardinology

I know - Ryan Adams news has been scant at SS lately, but fear not!  With Cardinology less than two weeks away, Lost Highway has graciously provided five audio snippets for our perusal.  Check them out below, and drop us a comment with your thoughts.

"Born Into a Light" - "Fix It" - "Magick" - "Cobwebs" - "Evergreen"

PS - Big ups from Rolling Stone!

Chinese Democracy: Already Lame?

We threw this out there yesterday, but since it's starting to look legit, we're taking a closer look.  This, my friends, is apparently the 15 years+ in the making cover art for Chinese Democracy.  But hold the phone -  according to Best Buy, there may be an "alternate version" on the way as well.  I say "why bother?".  I mean, what says "rock and roll comeback of the year" better than an old-timey bicycle complete with a wicker basket for trips to the Piggly Wiggly?

NEW VIDEO: Moby - "Oh Yeah"

Gawker might question Moby's status as a "beloved neighborhood figure," but hopefully this new clip for "Ooh Yeah," one of the better tracks off Last Night, is one thing we can come together on.  Enjoy.